Fixing the Digital Divide: how funding fuels change for the National Digital Inclusion Network

Addressing digital exclusion amidst ongoing financial challenges 

Access to technology and the internet is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Yet, millions of people across the UK remain digitally excluded, unable to access vital online services, or even connect with friends and family. Many community organisations are working tirelessly to close this gap, but they face significant challenges, particularly when it comes to accessing the funding needed to tackle digital exclusion. Our recent research tells us around three quarters (73%) of hubs in the National Digital Inclusion Network are facing financial barriers to delivering digital inclusion support. That’s where the Fix The Digital Divide Fund comes in. 

What is the Fix the Digital Divide Fund? 

In response to this ongoing challenge in our sector, we launched the Fix The Digital Divide Fund. The fund is designed to support organisations in the National Digital Inclusion Network to access the resources they need to enhance the sustainability of their delivery model, and increase their capacity to reach more people in their communities who are digitally excluded. The fund’s flexibility means that hubs can choose the grant most suited to their needs, whether that’s expanding their digital inclusion services, training staff and volunteers, or investing in their digital infrastructure. 

The fund offers 4 types of grants: 

1. Activation Grant: This is a small, one-off grant of £1,000 for newly joined members of the Network to enable them to become active in supporting digital inclusion. 
2. Capability Grant: This grant helps hubs in the Network to build their capability and capacity to provide digital inclusion support. We have increased the amount available from the previous rounds of this grant, to £6,000. 
3. Impact Grant: This grant enables hubs to provide digital inclusion support to more members of their local communities, predominantly digital skills via Learn My Way and access to mobile data through the National Databank. The contract amount is £6,000 to support between 120-150 people, or £3000 to support between 60-90 people, to improve their digital skills and / or access to the internet.
4. Network Ambassadors: We currently provide funding to 13 Ambassadors across the UK and they play a key role in supporting and representing the National Digital Inclusion Network. They bring experience and expertise in delivering digital inclusion support in different regions and to different audiences and a passion for fixing the digital divide.

Since the fund's launch in September 2023, 342 grants summing a total of £1,449,000, have been awarded to National Digital Inclusion Network hubs, helping them tackle the digital divide head on. 

Strengthening organisations to deliver impact

The organisations that make up our National Digital Inclusion Network are at the forefront of tackling digital exclusion, and with support from the Fix The Digital Divide Fund, they've been able to boost their capacity to deliver this vital support. Through Capability Grants in particular, hubs have delivered a broad range of successful projects, from piloting new digital inclusion services, training staff / volunteers, to investing in the technology they need to support more people facing digital exclusion. 

These successes are reflected in the numbers (Capability Grant, January - June 2024):

• 93% agreed the grant had helped to increase staff and volunteer capacity to deliver digital inclusion support. 
• 89% agreed the grant had helped to increase staff and volunteer understanding of how to support digital inclusion.
• 79% agreed the grant had helped to increase sustainability of the organisation’s delivery model.

“Through the grant we have been able to work with an external consultant to truly understand people's views to digital, understand the barriers they face and co-design a strategy to start overcoming these.” - Comment from Capability Grant follow-up survey, Jul ‘24

Transforming lives through digital

The people supported by these hubs face significant barriers to digital access, whether due to a lack of devices, internet connectivity, or digital skills and confidence. With the help of the Impact Grants, hubs have been able to expand their provision of free digital skills training (using Learn My Way) and / or access to free mobile data (through the National Databank), to combat these barriers to access and skills, and ensure that more people can benefit from the digital world.

All Impact Grantees agreed that the grant enabled them to reach more people needing digital inclusion support, and many reported a range of positive impacts for the people they support as a result. For example…

• 97% agreed people’s confidence and skills have increased
• 97% agreed more people feel able to contact family and or friends
• 97% agreed more people feel able to manage their money, shopping or bills online 

“Customers have reported being able to save money, access vital services, keep in touch with family and access things for their wellbeing. All of these will have a positive impact on their mental health.”
- Comment from Impact Grant follow-up survey, Jul 24

Current and future funding 

Many hubs have successfully used their grants to develop more sustainable models of digital inclusion. For example, some hubs were able to use the grant to identify further funding opportunities, recruit and train a number of volunteers to support future delivery, or gain a deeper understanding of local needs so they could better tailor their provision moving forwards. Across both the Impact and Capability grant (December ‘23 - June ‘24): 

• 87% felt confident that they would be able to sustain their current level of digital inclusion support over the next 6 months.

It’s clear that investment in digital inclusion services, made possible thanks to our Strategic Partners and supporters, has made a difference — not only in meeting the immediate needs of individuals who are digitally excluded, but also in developing the sustainability of the organisations providing this support. 

However, we recognise that for many organisations longer term sustainability feels less certain, due to challenges in the wider funding landscape and increasing demand for digital inclusion. This is why we need to continue to advocate at a regional and national level, for more longer-term funding for local, community based delivery of vital digital inclusion services.

While we don't have any application rounds open for the Fix the Digital Divide grants at the time of writing, we do regularly share information about funding opportunities from other organisations via the Network Newsletter. Information about any future grant funding opportunities will also be shared on our funding page on the National Digital Inclusion Network website.

If you have any questions or feedback please, get in touch with us - hello@goodthingsfoundation.org.